article · RSC Advances
Novel nanocomposites were fabricated by decorating graphene oxide nanosheets with silver nanoparticles, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and zinc oxide nanoflowers. Structural, optical, and surface characterisation confirmed the properties of the synthesised materials. Evaluation using standard counting plate methods demonstrated that these nanocomposites inhibit the growth of adhered microbial cells across two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacterial strains, thereby counteracting biofilm formation. Additional testing evaluated the interaction of the nanocomposites with bovine serum albumin and circulating tumour DNA using fluorescence spectroscopy. Addition of the nanocomposites significantly quenched the singlet-state fluorescence intensities of both the protein and DNA targets. The strongest quenching occurred with the combined graphene oxide, silver, titanium dioxide, and zinc oxide nanocomposite compared to control formulations, supporting its distinct antibacterial and biomolecular interaction properties.
Bacterial contamination and the formation of resilient biofilms present severe challenges in healthcare settings and food preservation. Developing multifunctional nanomaterials that stop bacterial adherence and disrupt microbial activity offers a viable route to enhancing hygiene, reducing infection risks, and protecting sensitive products from degradation.
The findings point toward protective coatings or additives for medical devices and food packaging to prevent biofilm formation. Potential end users include medical equipment manufacturers and food packaging developers. Because the work remains at the stage of laboratory fabrication and in vitro testing, it represents early-stage research requiring further safety, durability, and formulation trials before commercial use.
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The fabrication, characterization, and antibacterial activity of novel nanocomposites based on graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets decorated with silver, titanium dioxide nanoparticles, and zinc oxide nanoflowers were examined. The fabricated nanocomposites were characterized by various techniques including X-ray diffraction, ultraviolet-visible light absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller theory analysis, Fourier transform infrared, and scanning electron microscopy. The antibacterial activity of the GO-metal oxide nanocomposites against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacteria was examined by using the standard counting plate methodology. The results showed that the fabricated nanocomposites on the surface of GO could inhibit the growth of microbial adhered cells, and consequently prevent the process of biofilm formation in food packaging and medical devices. To confirm the antibacterial activity of the examined GO-nanocomposites, we examined their interactions with bovine serum albumin (BSA) and circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) by steady-state fluorescence spectroscopy. Upon addition of different amounts of fabricated GO-nanocomposites, the fluorescence intensities of the singlet states of BSA and ctDNA were considerably quenched. The higher quenching was observed in the case of GO-Ag-TiO<sub>2</sub>@ZnO nanocomposite compared with other control composites.
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DOI: 10.1039/c8ra09788g
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